On May 6, Ron Zimmerman, an actor and writer from Los Angeles, came to Wabash Middle School to talk to with Mrs. Unger’s 6th grade Creative Writing classes.

The session was open concept. He encouraged the students to ask him questions about his life, his career, anything. While he spoke the students worked on their KWLs. K stands for what they already know about their subject. W stands for what they want to know about their subject, and L stands for what they are learning about their subject.

When asked by a student what inspired him to start his career, Zimmerman told the students about his earliest decision to get into show business. “I was a little kid, about six. We lived in Los Angeles, and I took my dog to a big park. I saw all this commotion. It was only around one building, and there were car parked everywhere. Through all these cars, cameras and lights was the Batmobile. I couldn’t believe it; it was the most gorgeous car. I heard somebody call “action” and Batman and Robin ran out of the building, drove the car around the block and did it again. I was hypnotized. It was the most amazing thing I had ever seen and I knew right then that no matter what I did in my life, I somehow would have to get a job where I could be in the middle of those people,” said Zimmerman.

He explained that after they moved to Maryland from Los Angeles that he had to “write his way back to Hollywood.” And he did.

Zimmerman has written jokes for comedians like Jerry Seinfeld and Rodney Dangerfield. He has written award-winning poetry, comic books for Marvel Comics, and he even wrote and produced the first season of 7th Heaven. He knew that writing was his ticket, and he encouraged the students that when they find that one focus, that one thing they love, to stick with it, no matter what.